Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence

I was looking for something light without being too light and had just found Pete Mayle by reading THE GOOD YEAR. I crossed off all the ticks with this book: light and thoroughly enjoyable, a little bit of crime and intrigue, likable characters, and full of atmosphere. The book makes you want to visit Provence and lazily enjoy yourself by immersing yourself into the culture and surroundings. It put a smile on my face. I highly recommend this even though it was published many years ago.

I really enjoyed the first 95% of this book. It’s a great summer read. But I felt there were so many loose ends at the end. It would have been nice to read how things ended up for certain characters introduced in the story.

A great romp through Provence! And a few other places too. The story is full of strong and interesting characters well portrayed. It was hard not to like any of them! I never lost track of who is who. Some of the plot was predictable but the way it unfolded kept me reading and wondering. The descriptions of each scene and place made it seem was almost there. A fun, if not terribly deep read. Most enjoyable.

I read this book when it first came out in the early 1990s. I enjoyed Peter Mayle's tales in A Year In Provence as well as his follow up stories of life in France. I remember finding and buying this book in a local bookshop and fondly remember sitting in an overstuffed chair with an iced coffee reading for hours. I laughed out loud at the euphemisms, the dry British wit, and the wry French humour! Ernest, Simon, Nicole, JoJo, and the gang will not disappoint. My paper copy is a bit bedraggled, but to me it shows the book is well loved and well read! Enjoy!

Yes, it's predictable, but only if you've read everything else he's written. If you have done that, than not only do you have a pretty good idea of how this book is going to turn out, you also know that you are going to relish every word. I love Mayle's deeply affectionate portrayals of Provençal life, people, and cuisine. Every book is like a brief, poignant vacation. Buy this book. Enjoy it with a crisp white wine, a buttered baguette, and perhaps some wafer-thin slices of salted radish. It will be delicious.

Who doesn't dream of chucking it all and moving to Provence? Nicely put into the context of a man with more money than many of us dream of. With warm, close relationships. And a wide array of characters from the simple to the complex; the benign to the evil; the sympathetic to the unforgiven. Want to escape after a long day? Want to sit by the fire with a last glass of wine and let the night swell quietly to overtake the day? Take this book as a guide.

Good verbal descriptive prose. Makes the reader feel like they are inside the story. Kind of banal and questionable storyline.

Hotel Pastis is my hands down favorite of Mayle’s books. Ernest is one of my favorite characters in literature. If only I had an Ernest to run my life with such efficiency and panache!

My favourite read when I need to laugh and dream of France

Hace algunos años tuve un período de mi vida que conviví con el cáncer. Salí adelante gracias al Dr. Pavlovski.Ahora bien Peter Mayle me acompañó desde sus libros y este se convirtió en mi novela favorita cuando estoy abajo. Para mi padre - lector y estudioso - lo fue "No solo de caviar vive el hombre".

Me interesa en español o francés NO inglés quiero cambio o reembolso

Witty and entertaining, this easy-read will whisk you away to the delights of rural Provence – 5 StarsOpening in London, we are introduced to disenchanted, advertising executive, Simon Shaw. Relentlessly pursued by his self-centred ex-wife and a host of demanding clients, Simon decides to escape to the French Riviera for a much-needed break. However, when his Porsche’s exhaust loses its battle with the French countryside, Simon finds himself stranded in the sleepy town of Brassiäre-les-Deux-Eglis where he is soon captivated by the charms of Nicole Bouvier.This might have been penned in the 1990s, but as an entertaining light-read, ‘Hotel Pastis’ has most definitely stood the test of time. As the story progresses, the reader follows Simon, Nicole, and Simon’s loyal assistant, Ernest, as they transform an abandoned gendarmerie into a boutique hotel, catch-up with the antics of some bank robbers, and resolve a case of kidnapping… Needless to say, this is a plot that skips along at a very pleasing pace.Whilst the plot is entertaining, the dual charm of this novel comes from the wonderful descriptions of the hotel and a host of delightful characters. It’s an artful blend of escapism and razor-sharp wit that’s guaranteed to please anyone who’s ever dreamed of escaping the rat-race for life in Provence.Overall: ‘Hotel Pastis’ provides an enchanting escape from the mundane…if only for a few hours.

Wonderful book, fabulous author. Peter Mayle lived for 25 years in Provence and takes the reader there!